National S'mores Day is Sunday. I'll celebrate the best of this iconic treat on Friday morning with Fox 35's David Martin and Good Day Orlando at the Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores. Sunday is also the first day of Discovery Channel's Shark Week. EEK ! Let's dish: Calories for a cause . More than 16 million kids in America live in a family that struggles to put food on the table, according to Share Our Strength, a chef-driven initiative to fight childhood hunger.

WHAT : Foodies, fall in line. Some of Volusia County's most savory eateries put their best plates forward for the annual Taste of DeLand, including bites from Brickhouse Grill, Dally in the Alley and Genuine Bistro. Tastings from all are free with entry, and beer and wine are available for purchase. Sorry, Fido, no pets at this year's event, though the meals should be so good you won't want to share. WHEN : 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 WHERE : Along West Indiana Avenue, downtown DeLand COST : $15 advance, $20 at the gate CALL : 386-738-0649 ONLINE : mainstreetdeland.org Tod Caviness

There's a new taste of Italian fare in Central Florida: Trevi Pasta in the heart of Orlando's College Park neighborhood specializes in from-scratch pastas, sauces and antipasto. Owner Vanessa Falcone's tender pastas run the gamut from savory to sweet and flat to shapely. Flavors change, but a typical offering can include rosemary, lemon-basil, spicy garlic, garlic parsley, spinach, beet, spicy tomato and chocolate. "Everything is made from scratch daily," says Falcone, who prepares the long ribbons of tagliatelle, pappardelle and spaghetti as well as the spiral variations of fusilli and strozzapreti.

Some of Orlando's newest food trucks: Korean BBQ Taco Box, Colonial and Primrose drives. A fusion of Korean and Mexican food, with prices ranging from $5.99 to $6.99. Cash only. Red Eye BB's stops include World of Beer in the Dr. Phillips area. Prices generally range from $3 to $7. Cash and credit cards accepted. redeyebbq.com The Crooked Spoon is still scouting locations but lately has been at Fern Creek Avenue and Colonial Drive. Menu includes burgers, macaroni and cheese and salads.

Here's the spotlight I wrote for tomorrow's Calendar section in the Orlando Sentinel WHAT: Walk around Cranes Roost Lake in Altamonte Springs on Monday night and sample food and drinks from over 30 local restaurants and bars. Best of all, your indulging benefits local charities that include Boys Town Central Florida, Pet Rescue By Judy and BASE Camp Children's Cancer Foundation. Last year the event, which has been taking place since 1992, raised over $30,000. WHEN: 6-9 p.m. tonight WHERE: Uptown Altamonte at Cranes Roost Park, 274 Cranes Roost Boulevard in Altamonte Springs COST: $25 adults, $10 children (4-12)

Funky Monkey Wine Co. is included in the list of eclectic restaurants that have signed on to participate in the June 12 community dine around event in Orlando. Orlandosentinel.com/thedish A LITTLE TWITTER AND SHOUT : You can follow my daily local dining and foodie updates online. Twitter @OS_thedish EAT LOCAL, SHOP GLOBAL: Celebrate the diversity of Central Florida at the dinner table. Orlandosentinel.com/ethnicgroceryguide

Mark your calendars for the Fourth Annual Taste of Windermere, an evening of food and fine wine presented by the Central Florida Women's League. This year's event - 6-9 p.m. March 29 at The Pines of Windermere, 3409 Maguire Road - will celebrate the organization's 25th anniversary. You can check out the complete list of participating restaurants at OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish . Tim's Wine Market of Windermere will be pouring the wines. Cost is $60 advance, $65 at the door. VIP tickets are $125.

Regarding Bo Poertner's March 27 column about people gathering to watch a police standoff in Deltona, Gene Pope, late founder of the National Enquirer, told how he came to produce the infamous crime and gore era (one of several metamorphoses) of the Enquirer. He was on the Long Island Expressway when he came upon a gruesome accident scene -- several dead and mangled bodies. He noted an immense crowd gathered to gawk at the carnage, and that inspired him to produce his first tabloid based on the exploitation of the tawdriness and banality of life.

Stinkbugs are a malodorous lot. But, as bad as they smell, they taste even worse. I know this because I have eaten them, though not intentionally. My experience with stinkbugs involves mulberries and the gluttonous way I pick and eat fresh fruit. When I'm picking, I can't stop eating. I pluck one ripe morsel after another, popping them into my mouth with abandon. Unfortunately, on numerous occasions, an unobserved insect taints the taste. Stinkbugs like mulberries, too, and because these half-inch-long bugs can quickly move from one side of a berry to another, they are quite easy to overlook when picking fruit.

It looks like it's going to be a bumper year for figs. When I peek beneath the lobed leaves of our ficus carica trees, I have visions of plenty. Dozens upon dozens of pear-shaped fruit dangle temptingly within reach. Much as I'd like to pluck one early, I try to be patient. Biting into an unripe fig - like sampling an unripe banana - is not a pleasant experience. Figs taste best when left to ripen on the tree. A ripe fig is plump, juicy and sweet. When gently pressed, it has the give and take of soft flesh.

GAINESVILLE - Scottie Wilbekin was one of the nation's best defenders for the Florida Gators, but he still was no match for Larry Bird. Even at age 57, Larry Legend took Wilbekin out of his game during a recent workout for the Indiana Pacers. Eager to make a good impression, Wilbekin was a bit starstruck when he met Bird, Indiana's team president. "It was kind of a surreal experience," Wilbekin recalled this week. "I couldn't make too much of big deal out of it, but at the same time it's Larry Bird.

Question: We have an evergreen hedge that produces bright red berries with ridges around them. Birds eat the berries and the darker fruits are the sweeter ones. What is the name of the plant? Answer: You and the birds have good tastes in enjoying what appears to be fruits of the Surinam cherry. Some say they resemble little pumpkins with eight vertical ridges or ribs around the fruits. Darker fruits do seem sweeter and many believe have the best flavor. Several named varieties are available and said to produce better quality fruits.

CLERMONT - Music - and hips - were lively during the Taste of the Caribbean & Jerk Festival over the weekend. Rame Bahadur, above, dances as the New Generation Branches Steel Orchestra plays Saturday during the third annual event at Clermont Waterfront Park. Umbrellas were a necessity for many, below left, as the skies opened up periodically. "Mother Nature took over and was in control, but people circulated through the raindrops," said Marsha Riley, 68, treasurer for the sponsoring Caribbean American Association and one of the festival's coordinators.

Titan Products of Puerto Rico last week celebrated the opening of a new distribution center in Orlando, a move that could provide Puerto Ricans with greater access to their favorite food products from back home. The company, which is a subsidiary of Empresas Barsan , will serve stores throughout the state from its 40,000-square-foot distribution facility on Central Florida Parkway. Its line includes more than 200 products. Popular brands include Los Cidrines bread and Indulac milk and white cheese.

If there ever was a reason to toast a good cause it's Reading Between the Wines, a fundraiser for the Adult Literacy League next Wednesday at the Orlando Science Center. While author Stuart Woods is undoubtedly the star of the 6 p.m. event, the wine and food tastings are always great fun. Tickets are $85. The league provides tutoring and classes in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. For ticket and sponsorship information, call 407-422-1540 or check out adultliteracyleague.org (click on "events")

Do you have a refined interest in food and beverages? Seeking out new food experiences as a hobby? Then you just might be a foodie! Enjoy demonstrations from renowned local chefs and check out sweet and savory cooking demonstrations by some of Central Florida's top chefs throughout the weekend. The popular Edible Orlando Cooking Stage will heat up with spring recipes sure to please guests. The best part? Samples. And if you can't get enough of the foodie scene, don't miss the Food Truck Rally on Sun. only.

When the annual Taste of College Park Food & Wine Festival first started up in 2004, it seemed to have the perfect ingredients for a great night out: food provided by the neighborhood's local restaurants, specialty desserts, and wine pairings with the meals. A decade later, Pam Potenza noted, and the event held on April 10 from 6-9 p.m. at the historic Dubsdread Golf Course remains the same. “We expect 400 to 450 in attendance,” said Potenza, a member of the event's sponsor, the Rotary Club of College Park.